MusicRadar

Are these Hendrix's best 11 tracks?

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by Mick Taylor, Guitarist magazine

Crosstown Traffic
Sounding like a sleazy sequel to The Beatles' Drive My Car, Crosstown Traffic grooves harder than it rocks and is all the better for it. Underpinned by a pounding piano part – which Jimi played himself - it provides evidence of Hendrix's considerable hook-writing prowess and features the finest use of the kazoo in the history of popular music. That's more than enough for me.
Fact! Crosstown Traffic features Dave Mason from British band Traffic on backing vocals. And of course, he sings the word 'traffic'.
Watch! If you want, Red Hot Chili Peppers covering it.

by Ben Rogerson, MusicRadar

Hear My Train A Comin'
The live version of this epic blues from the Rainbow Bridge album has the lot. Yes, at the start it's out of tune but Jimi soon bends things into shape, and what follows in the ensuing 11 minutes represents some of the best blues guitar ever committed to record. Immense Strat tone, total control and utter creativity make this my top Hendrix tune. He was a master - make no mistake about it.
Watch! Jimi live at Berkeley.

by Neville Marten, Guitar Techniques magazine

"Mitch Mitchell's somersault-like drumming is a breathtaking mini-course in jazz, rock and blues."

All Along The Watchtower
Ok, it's a cover. But not many covers better (piss all over) the original version as convincingly as All Along The Watchtower – and Bob Dylan was the first to agree. Sure, Watchtower began life as a folk number, but turning that warbling harmonica into the world's coolest riff was a defining moment of Jimi's genius. It's also the perfect soundtrack to the self-destructive life we never lived. If you've seen Withnail And I, you'll know what I mean.
Fact! The band's bassist Noel Redding walked out halfway through Watchtower's recording session in 1968. Guitarist Dave Mason took over, but Hendrix himself recorded the final part.
Watch! Live at the Isle Of Wight 1970 "If you can dig it?"

by Tom Porter, MusicRadar

Angel
Little Wing tends to be the 'go to' song when the words 'Hendrix' and 'tasty chords' are strung together. Shame, as there are more corking fretboard moves and evocative chord voicings in Angel than any version available of Little Wing (and that includes covers by players like Stevie Ray Vaughan or Guthrie Govan). Certainly, few E chords (Eb chords if we are to consider the semi tone down tuning) are as sonic velvet as the opening Emaj9…
Fact! Angel has only notched up one notable cover version and that's by Rod Stewart And The Faces. Sadly, the nice chord voicings went out of the window.